Checking a job or contractor applicant background is a common screening process. For many fields the type of information required to evaluate a candidate is well known and easy to establish. For example, qualifications for professional jobs are typically determined based on the candidate's education, previous employers, and areas of expertise. These qualifications are generally presented in a resume format. For accountants, attorneys, finance, marketing and other management professionals, this information has proven adequate to provide a fair indication of a professional's qualifications and possession of the required skills.
In many other industries, such as service based jobs, identifying and gathering relevant and credible information to establish an applicant's qualifications is difficult. This is particularly true where individuals work in small businesses, remote locations or in private homes. These work environments limit the available information about potential applicants. The ability to get reliable information about a candidate is especially problematic where a job does not have established educational programs, training or accreditation that can be used to demonstrate an applicant's job proficiency. This is typically true for many in-home service jobs, such as housekeepers and nannies, or other service industry workers, such as waiters and servers.
Moreover, the transition time from one job to the next tends to be fairly quick for service types jobs. When management professionals change jobs the process of job searching and interviewing often spans a number of weeks or months. This typically provides ample time to confirm the applicant's credentials and check the applicant's references. Basic service jobs, however, may have transitions where applicants change positions in a matter of few days. This presents a challenge to try and identify qualified applicants quickly because the best applicants may find a new assignment in a matter of days.